CD player broke after about 6 months.
Rough transmision.
My clutch and flywheel blew out at 45000mi.
This car is just OK. Go with a BMW or Acura if you can.
Try learning to use a manual transmission correctly. Maybe you are a terrible shifter! Duh!
I drove the manual transmission version on a test drive and was shocked how agrarian it was. I have owned a few Toyotas in my day and they all had great trannies.
In my mind, this Lexus was the perfect car except for that horrible transmission. Very sad since I was close to buying one.
Is that a really bad transmission?
Well, it was able to shift the car if that's what you mean. But it truly felt like my friend's 1973 VW Beetle, not a smooth or even notchy transmission like my BMWs or Toyotas of the past.
I agree, I really wanted to love the IS300 when the stick version came out and I was very disappointed. Granted it was brand new and not broken in, but the transmission was anything, but sporty. The tall shift lever with the tiny chrome ball looks and feels funny. I bought a V6 5-sp Jetta, chicks love Jettas. It found me a wife, now it is hers and I can try again with an IS300 auto.
I have a 2002 IS300 with 100K on it. Stock clutch and stock transmission. It can be a bit rough when it's first cold... other than that... If you know how to drive, it's a fine transmission. I haven't had to replace anything on the trans and It's all completely original.
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